The Record goes Online

The final edition of The Record will not spell the end of local news and events coverage, says Archdiocese of Perth Communications & Media Manager, James Parker.

From early September, a new e-newsletter, together with a printed 4-page A4 newsletter will deliver the latest news and events for the Archdiocese.

The printed newsletter will be emailed directly to parishes for printing and distribution, while the e-newsletter, which will include similar content, can be sent directly to a recipient’s email inbox.

Mr Parker said the ever-increasing digital age does not mean a decrease in the quality or quantity of content.

“The Archdiocese of Perth has seen that there are many ways to deliver on our urgent mission of spreading the good news,” Mr Parker said.

“With the integration of news reporting and design staff from The Record into a new media and communications division for the Archdiocese, we will only deepen the engagement with society at large,” he said.

“This will take time, however, so we appreciate the support of parishioners, clergy and organisations in working with us during the transition.”

In his statement announcing changes to The Record last week, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said we must be courageous in seeking new avenues for this vital work of evangelisation.

“This has meant making difficult decisions about how we can best use our limited resources to achieve this aim,” the Archbishop said.

“With the change from a weekly newspaper to a monthly magazine, the archdiocese will be able to re-direct and devote its resources to improving our online presence,” he said.

The Archbishop also mentioned that the Communications and Media team for the archdiocese is working hard to make the archdiocesan website more attractive to a wider group of people, including the young, many of whom he says, are far more likely to use the internet to access news and information generally than they are to read a weekly newspaper.

“If our goal is to use the media to share the message of Jesus, we must try new methods and set out in new directions,” the Archbishop said.

Mr Parker also emphasised the point made by Archbishop Costelloe in his statement last week when he said that not everyone has access to the internet, nor is everyone comfortable with using this kind of technology.

“It is for this reason each week that a copy of the e- newsletter will be sent to parishes and made available to those who would still like to receive a hard copy of the weekly news to take home with them.”

Those interested in receiving the e-newsletter direct to their email inbox are encouraged to sign up by sending an email to subscribe@perthcatholic.org.au